Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano raised a few eyebrows when it looked as if he ran over and kissed Sky Sport Italia’s touchline reporter during the Conference League win over Viktoria Plzen.
The moment was caught on camera following the second goal in extra time that guaranteed their passage to the semi-final of the UEFA tournament.
Italiano rushed over to the sideline where Vanessa Leonardi was seated and she had her hood up due to the rain, so her face was not visible as the coach got up very close.
Some thought it was a kiss, but Leonardi’s husband – also a Sky Sport Italia presenter, Maurizio Compagnoni – revealed what really happened.
“It was not a kiss. Do you think Italiano would do that in front of a thousand television cameras with his wife in the stands?”
Instead, it was described as him saying something in her ear, but he had to get close as the crowd was celebrating so loudly and her coat hood was all the way up.
The camera was only on them for a moment, which didn’t get the full dynamics of the situation.
Eccolo pic.twitter.com/a7OtsAjrFC
— Magistrato La Canella (@onorevolecane) April 18, 2024